The present invention relates to equipment used in meat industry, and, more particularly, to an apparatus for stripping hides from animals.
Known in the art is an apparatus for stripping hides from animals, comprising overhead tracks used for suspension of carcasses by hind legs by means of anchoring members made in the form of rollers or hooks. The apparatus comprises two closed-loop chain conveyers travelling over curvilinear guides in the same direction at different speeds.
Chains of the outside conveyer receive transverse rods serving for anchoring the fore legs of the carcass by means of the hooks.
The inside conveyer is adapted for gripping of the hide being stripped.
The apparatus incorporates devices adapted to detach the hooks from the rods, the opposite ends of the rods mounting one said device each.
Each prior art apparatus includes a tube with recesses, seated on the rod throughout its length, the recesses being adapted to accommodate the hooks and are provided with bosses which detach the hooks from the rod.
One end of the tube mounts a sprocket mating with a chain section fastened to the inclined portion of the outside conveyer guide. The sprocket engages the chain at the instant when the rod approaches said portion of the conveyor guide.
When the rod holding the fore legs of the carcass anchored in the recesses of the tube by means of the hooks, approaches said portion, the sprocket mates with the chain section fastened to the inclined portion of the outside conveyer guide. When the tube turns, the bosses thrust against the end face of each hook serving to anchor the fore legs of the carcass, whereby the hooks are detached from the rod.
At the instant when the hooks are detached from the rod, the hind legs of the carcass are not anchored, so they travel freely over the inclined tracks.
The hooks are detached from the rods in the prior-art apparatus only when a certain point is reached, irrespective of the size of the carcass. The sprocket located at the end of the tube mates with the chain section disposed on the conveyer guide in a definite place, hence, the fore legs of the carcass, no matter large or small, are always separated from the rod at the instant when the latter approaches the beginning of the chain section. Consequently, the carcass starts swinging. If the carcass is medium- or large-size, the belly of the carcass rubs against the rod while swinging and becomes dirty.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for stripping hides from animals, which permits detachment of the hooks anchoring the fore legs of the carcass, depending on the size of the carcass, and, thereby, prevents fouling of the belly of the carcass.